Improvement in apparatus for towing vessels



www @argh @van JAMES MAZE KILNER, OF 3 SALTNEY ROAD, CHESTER, ENGLAND.

Letters Patent No. 86,676, dated Februar/ry 9, 1869.

IMPROVEMENT IN APPARATUS FOR T OWING VESSELS.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of the same To all to whom these presents 'may come:

Be it known that I, J AMES Maza Kursen, of 3 Saltney Road, Ohester, England, clerk, a subject oi'l the Queen of Great Britain, have invented or discovered new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Towing Ships o1' Vessels, and I do hereby declare the nature ofthe said invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascermined in and by the following statement; that is to say- The object of this invention is to supply apparatus by means of which'A chains may be readily applied for the purpose of towing, and it is hoped thereby to avert the heavy Wear and tear, and frequent casualties to life and limb, and valuable ships, incidental to ovcrall rope-towing atsea.

My invention, with other mechanism, with which itis intended to be used, and which constitutes the subject 0I" a patent recently granted to me in the United States of America, is represented in the accompany ing drawings, of which- Figure 1 is a deck-plan, and

Figure 2, a vertical section of a vessel with such invention applied thereto.

Figures 3 and 4 are diagrams, exhibiting the inode of applying a towing-chain to a tug, or towing-vessel, and one or two vessels to be towed thereby.

Figure 5 is a top view of thc Cleaver-trunk.

Figure 6 is a horizontal section of the cleaver, or one half of it.

Figure 7 is a side view of the grab-link, to be hereinafter described. y

In such drawing there is represented a cleaver-trunk, extending down through the vessel from its upper deck, to and through its bottom, as shown at A, in tig. 2, whlich is a contracted lengthwise section of a vessels hul.

This trunk. receives a tube, or cleaver, B, which,'in horizontal section, is formed as represented, it being sharp, in directions lengthwise of the hull, so as t'o cleave and pass through the water easily when the vessel is in motion, either forward or backward.

This oleaver, I suspend within the trunk, by means of ropes a a, led around sheaves, so as to enable the cleaver to be depressed, so as to project below the keel of the vessel, or drawn up within the trunk, as occaf sion may require.

The towing-chain, after being xed to a windlass, or some other proper object on the deck, is to pass over a saddle, or guide, 6, (see tig. 5,) and thence down the trunk and the clearer, and thence to the stern of the tugvessel, where one of its links ls to be hitched upon the t1ipping-hook b ofthe radial arm c, of a crane, C, arranged near the stern of the vessel, and so as to project above the deck in manner as represented.l

The arm o rests on a curved rail, d, supported by a counter-stern, e.

VIn iig. 6, the cleaver is shown in semi-section, that is, half of it as formed with vertical grooves, which, when the two halves are put together, form vertical or tubular channels through the cleaver.

The external passages are to receive stay-chains m m, which, by being carried down through the clearer, and through tubes f j, going down through the hull, may be employed to support the oleaver while being drawn through the water.

In figs. 3 and 4, the clcavers are represented as projecting below the keels of the vessels, and as haw ingstay and tow-chains applied to them. The towchains fm are submerged, or passed from the tug into the sea, and thrown underneath the hull of the vessel to be towed, and thence up through the clearer thereof.

Where two vessels are to be towed, the chain may pass down the cle-aver of one, to and through that of the other. y

Fig. 3 illustratcsa frigate or vessel, .towing a monitor, with the tow-chains submerged, and going through the cleavers of the two vvessels.

Fig. 4 denotes two vessels in tow oi" a steamer, with the tow-chains submerged.

The tripping-hook ofthe crane, formed as shown in the drawings, is hinged to the arm of the crane, so as to be capable of being turned up or over, into the position represented, in lig. 2, by dotted lines, the same being in order to discharge the towing-chain from the hook, when it may be desirable to` take in the chain.

Whie supporting the chain, while the vessel is .being towed thereby, the shank ofthe tripping-hook is to be held down to the arm of the crane by a pin passed through the arm 'and the shank.

The crane is free to turn laterally on the curved or quadranti-ail by which its arm is supported, and' thus,

while the vessel is being towed by a chain 4hitched on the crane-hook, the towing-vessel will be free to move sideways, more or less, under the arm of the crane.

What is termed the grab-link, is shown in iig. Z. One yof these links may be fixed to a vessel, near the keel and forefoot, the chain that goes ont of the hawsehole being passed through the said grab-link,

The grab-link may be so used when there is no Cleaver to the vessel, and when so employed the grab-link is designed to bring the strain of the draught at or near the keel, rather than at the hawse-hole. This arrange.- ment of the grab-link is shown in iig'. 2.

The tow-chain is passed from the slip-hook, above the tailrail and quadrant-rail of the tug-vessel, to the cle'avcr of the towed vessel, through one of the perforations or alleys of which the chain is drawn up to the deck, and there attached to a windlass or capstan; or, if preferred, its nal link may be supported by the T-trigger, and thence slipped whenever needed.

The said trigger, shown at tin iig. 5, consists of a shaft extended across the mouth of the oleaver-trunk, and has an arm projecting laterally.

' This arm goes through the terminal link of the towchain, and rests on a bar, s, which, on beingpulled, from underneath the arm, will cause the discharge of the tow-chain from the arm.

TheA cleaver, when greatly protruded, may be supv ported by chains, passed up alleys,4 placed at any convenient position between the garboard and bilgestreaks. The structure of the cleaver, however, may be of suicient strength to require no stayfch ains.

The eleaver may be used by heavy vessels when towing. Its tendency, however, is to litt the screw of an ordinary tug, while, rail helps to keep it submerged.

When the towed vessel isnot furnished with aclcavers a low point of traction may be obtained, as shown in drawing, fig'. 2, where the cable used for towing in frapped7 down beneath the forefoot, by thev grablink, supposed to be shackledto a chain, passed under the keel, to a point broad ou the port bow.

rIhe grab-link may also be attached to a messenger, passed through a hawse-hole,beneath the quadrant-rail. Thus the end ofthe tow-chain may be drawn from the towed to the tug-vessel. The grab-link adheres to the chain, about a fathom from its nal link, and supports its weight until the latter is adjusted to the slip-hook on board the tug.

It should be observed thatthe grab-link may be made to grab achain at anyaccessible point, whence it may be as readilysdetached by lifting its narrow end by a tripping-line or boat-hook. In this way it may be drawn up to the slip-hook, after it has performed its purpose of Ahauling the chain up to the stern while it is evident a messenger-rope, bent7 on in the usual way, could nothepconveniently detached from the chain, as the bend would be too. far astern of the vessel to admit of its being reached by hand. Hence the grablink, or some other appliance of equal utility, becomes a necessary appendage of the quadrant-rail.

Furthermore, the grab-link may also be used for adjusting "spring,7 extended from the broadside to on the other hand, the quadrant-l the `tow-chain, on those rare occasions when it is necessary to tow at a greater angle than the quadrantrail will permit.

In ligs. l, 2, and 7, the grab-link is exhibited also as suspended by a line from the stern of a vessel. The tow-chain is to' go through the grab-link, which,

a The cleaver'serves to keep the tow-chain free from contact with the keel and lower part of the hull of a vessel, while she may be pitching or rolling, when at sea. Thus the cleaver operates to prevent damage to the sheathing or hull of a vessel, and is advantageous in other respects.

I herein make no claim to the combination and arrangement ofthe cleaver and its' trunk with the hull of a vessel, so that the cleaver may be operated as described; nor ldo I herein claim the cleaver, constructed as represented, and as hereinbefore described; nor do I herein claim the arrangement of the tow-chain and the cleaver of a vessel to be towed, such chain being passed through and out of the cleaver, as set forth, as such constitutes the subject, or subjects, of my aforesaid Letters Patent, No. 80,075, and granted on or about theV 31st Aof July, A. D. 1868. My present invention has reference to the grab-link and the crane, the quadrant-rail and the trip-hook, as set forth.

` Having thus described Amy invention,

IVhat I claim is as follows:

I claim the grab-link, made and applied as represented.

I also claim the swinging crane, its quadrant-rail and trip-hook, combined and arranged at the stern of lthe vessel, as explained.

J. M. KILNER.

Witnesses G. F. WARREN, E Both of No. 17 Go'acechurch T. L. WARNER, Street, London.

with its line, will serve to draw the chainv up to the i 

